"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
I can't believe it's really you
Been so long, you look good
I hear you're doing really well
Don't ask me, let me tell you
How I've been since when you left
Since you left me for dead
Finally every tear has dried
I've wiped you from my life
Do you remember all the times you said you'd call me
'Cause I remember all the reasons people warned me
And now I hear you saying that you still adore me
But if you think I'd ever get with you again
Then you can just
Love me, love me
Feed the flame
If you want me back again
Burns in the sky, higher and higher
Baby, can you play with fire?
(Come on and feel the sky)
Love me, love me
(Come on and feel the sky)
If you want me
You never know just what you got
'Till it's gone, you forgot
But I'm not falling for the game
Boys like you never change
You made me feel I wasn't enough
Wasn't enough for your love
But it was insecurity that made you run
It wasn't me
So don't you sit there trying
To give me more excuses
I don't have time 'cause it's
I'm off to play in Houston
And I'm too busy with a million things I'm doing
You can't make up for what you've done
But you still try to be the one
Love me, love me
Feed the flame
If you want me back again
Burns in the sky, higher and higher
Baby, can you play with fire?
Oh, by the way
By the way I've found someone who gives me space
Keeps me safe, makes me sane
Found someone to take your place
Now I'm safe in his arms
And I decide
Only he can play with fire
Love me, love me
Feed the flame
If you want me back again
Burns in the sky, higher and higher
Baby, can you play with fire?
Been so long, you look good
I hear you're doing really well
Don't ask me, let me tell you
How I've been since when you left
Since you left me for dead
Finally every tear has dried
I've wiped you from my life
Do you remember all the times you said you'd call me
'Cause I remember all the reasons people warned me
And now I hear you saying that you still adore me
But if you think I'd ever get with you again
Then you can just
Love me, love me
Feed the flame
If you want me back again
Burns in the sky, higher and higher
Baby, can you play with fire?
(Come on and feel the sky)
Love me, love me
(Come on and feel the sky)
If you want me
You never know just what you got
'Till it's gone, you forgot
But I'm not falling for the game
Boys like you never change
You made me feel I wasn't enough
Wasn't enough for your love
But it was insecurity that made you run
It wasn't me
So don't you sit there trying
To give me more excuses
I don't have time 'cause it's
I'm off to play in Houston
And I'm too busy with a million things I'm doing
You can't make up for what you've done
But you still try to be the one
Love me, love me
Feed the flame
If you want me back again
Burns in the sky, higher and higher
Baby, can you play with fire?
Oh, by the way
By the way I've found someone who gives me space
Keeps me safe, makes me sane
Found someone to take your place
Now I'm safe in his arms
And I decide
Only he can play with fire
Love me, love me
Feed the flame
If you want me back again
Burns in the sky, higher and higher
Baby, can you play with fire?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Play with Fire Lyrics as written by Kara Dioguardi Will Adams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.